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Friday, 15 April 2011

7 random things

We had this sweet treat on a Sat afternoon when the three of us were winding down from the activities earlier in the day. I had a tub of plain yoghurt that was going to be expired soon, and so I thought why not make a simple dessert out of it.

There was this almost over-ripe mango sitting on the kitchen counter so I married the two and made a simple mango yoghurt parfait. The mango was very soft and juicy so I could easily mashed it up a little without having to use a blender. I layered the yoghurt with the mango puree and topped it with some chopped mango and strawberry pieces. I plucked some mint leaves from my pot of striving mint plant, and used it as 'garnish'. The dessert looked so appetising that my kids actually let out a 'wah...so nice!'. I am glad they find the taste is as good as the food presentation :)

1. I do not have a facebook account. I doubt I will ever sign up since I don't really have that many friends. My kids do not have facebook accounts too. Yes, I know kids are not supposed to sign up, but most of their friends and all their cousins are on FB. My elder kid is facing some pressure from his friends to sign up since he goes to secondary school. I'll see when he will give in ;)

2. Although I blog in English, I speak almost 100% Mandarin at home. I read Chinese books, magazines and even the Chinese papers. I speak English only if the other party is not able to understand Chinese at all. But I do use a mixture of English and Mandarin when necessary...especially when there is a need to scold my children...somehow, I feel that certain English phrases are very good and effective to drum down my message onto them.

3. So far I have never taken any photography course. I really do not know much about photography. I could only use the auto-mode and the macro-function of my camera. My photos are all point-and-shoot.

4. I am still using this point and shoot camera we bought in 2004. It is starting to get very old lately, as the battery cannot be charged. I have to use the camera with an ac adapter :'(
My elder son has joined photography club as his second CCA in school. He has started to learn how to use a DSLR, and he brought home a Cannon 550D yesterday as he needs to cover two events these two days. They have to cover at least 5 events a year...no one can join the club just for fun. One glance at the DSLR has already made me see stars...I can never get it right with the 'f', aperture, etc. I think I will do myself good by sticking to an idiot proof camera.

5. I have yet to attend a baking class, although I did watch a free cooking demo at a departmental store ;) So, do beware when you feel like trying out the recipes I have shared here. I am no professional baker, I am still a novice!

6. I like photo editing! It comes close to baking. I enjoy desktop publishing kind of work...when the www first came to us, I even thought of learning the html so that I can do web designing! But it is all words with no actions, not very different from my dream of opening up a small shop to sell cute stuff or be a librarian so that I can read books the whole day, or becoming a barista when starbucks opened its first outlet here.

7. The thing that I don't really enjoy about blogging is answering questions. Don't get me wrong. I will answer any queries, and from answering them, I get to know even more about baking. The only thing that I do not enjoy is, after answering whatever questions, I usually do not get a reply. I would say only 2 out of 10 will come back with a response. I looked forward to a response as sometimes I do not know whether the person understands what I have written, or whether I have misled anyone with my answers. Sometimes I do not have an answer to the query, but I will try to provide useful sites so that the person could refer to it, so I was silly enough to think that the person may come back and tell me that the problem has been solved. I used to wait for a response, but I know better now, there is no point expecting a response. So, I am always in dilemma...whether to answer that query, especially when I suspect the person may not even come back to the page or may just ask for the sake of asking. I don't want to sound offensive, but it is not a nice feeling when you are treated like a help desk? Or is it just me feeling that way??

Although I blog in English, I speak almost 100% Mandarin at home. >> In fact ALL my friends talk to me in Chinese, even though some are English speaking normally. I can hardly speak or express myself in good English when it comes to conversing. But when it comes to writing, English is my natural language. I guess it is due to the education system in Singapore that I was brought up where all the subjects are conducted in English.

I could only use the auto-mode and the macro-function of my camera. My photos are all point-and-shoot. >> Same here... When my friends talk to me about setting exposure and whatever terms when we are taking group photos, I goes @-@ and blank. I think I am really an idiot when it comes to photo.

Librarian, do you know that that is my childhood dream... Hehe... even though it is still a dream to this date.

Answering questions, I understand what you mean. I always make it a point to thank the person when I am asking questions. Well, it is my way of expressing appreciation for all the trouble they take to answer my questions.

Have a nice day, HHB. I think this is the longest comment that I have posted so far... :)

原来你我和hanushi都一样. I also speak Mandarin at home and to my friends, read Chinese newspaper/magazines, listen to Chinese songs and watch Chinese TV programs. My English sucks, writing is worse than a primary school kid, speaking is more like Singlish. Yet I find it easier to blog in English. Any other Mandarin-speaking friends here? :)

And one last thing, I'm guilty of the last point, I never reply to 'replies to my comments' that I left (though I always check back to see if they reply). However, I seldom ask questions in comments, I only praise.

Hi HHB, even if you're not a professional everything I tried from here it has been a success! And I like your presentation, too. I totally agree with your point #7, I often think how people has forgotten to behave properly on the net. Until today I thought I was "old" (I'm 32 btw) and I didn't understand the new media. At least now I know I have good company :)Have a great weekend with your boysMartina

Eventhough i am not in your award list, but I still like to leave a comment here, hehehe. Now I get to know you more, nice to know you via blogging. And I very impressed with your good command of English eventhough you did not speak/read much of English.Have a nice weekend too.

I really like all of your photos - your love of photoediting really shows! I have been reading your blog for over a year now i think, and i am glad you are back from your hiatus! don't worry, you do not need to answer my questions, just keep blogging, your sons are so cute ♥

ok, I can conclude that SSB and HHB and me quite similar. (SSB : My "FB poison" also very deep. LOL)We speak mostly chinese but blog in english (for me it is cos convenient, cos writing in chinese take so long).

HHB, sometimes I did not check back cos I forgotten I asked. Sometimes I only say thank you without commenting much abt the information I recv is helpful or not cos I may not have finish reading the links shared. Sometimes I just dun want to add bulk to the already long list of comments so did not say anything after receiving the answers.

wah,your pics have been so professional! never thought u never really study about photography :)

for your point 7, i must admit i often do thatso keen with the recipe but not sure abt something, and then asked question, but forget to check out the reply (especially when my list of blogger friends getting longer hehe...)until the day i try out the recipe and read the comments then i see the replyafter reading your point 7, i realize that's not a nice gesture - thanks for reminding me about thiswill make the effort to check out and get back to all replies for my comments, especially those with answers to my doubts:)

thanks hhb for the award :) and for a point and shoot camera, your photographs are already salivating inducing already! i can't image the havoc you'll wreck on my tummy if you had a dslr!

and i understand where you come from in your point 7 - for me, I usually make sure I subscribe by email to any comments or questions I leave so that I know when there's a reply so that I can follow up - I think it's only manners since someone is willing to reply you and especially since I'm usually the one with a ton of questions! :)

oh dear, i am guilty of that too...i will usually check back for answers when i posed questions , esp if i need the answers desperately but there are a few times when i forgot about it, esp when i am busy at work...will try to remember, perhaps by writing the queries down...btw, it can be quite frustrating too when i pose a question but never get any reply. which is why, i have stopped asking questions in some blogs but yours, i know for sure, i will get a response :) which is why i am a loyal fan of your blog:)and sometimes, i pose a question but the reply came many days or weeks later so that type a bit hard to keep track leh....(not your blog of course, u are always prompt.)

I may not comment very often on ur blog....but would like to say that urs is one of the most detailed and helpful baking blogs ever. Anytime I have an ingredient I want to use, your blog is one of the first I check!! And I also loved this post for its little peek into the wonderful person behind the blog! U have made me and my family very HAPPY thanks for sharing these wonderful recipes :)